FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE RELEASE NO. 15-08

WEST POINT OFFICER AMONG MACARTHUR AWARD WINNERS -- March 13, 2008

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- The Department of the Army announced the winners of the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award for calendar year 2007, Tuesday, March 11.

Captain James W. Uptgraft, Class of 1999, an instructor in the Department of Military Instruction at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, is one of the 28 company grade officers, including three other academy graduates who were named.

“I am extremely honored to be recognized as a MacArthur Leadership Award winner,” Uptgraft said.

Other academy graduates were Capts. Christopher J. Demure, Class of 2000, James T. Golby, 2001 and Edward E. Kennedy 2000.

The MacArthur award is given annually to Army officers -- active, Guard and Reserve -- who exhibit extraordinary leadership abilities and embody the ideals embraced by MacArthur. Criteria for the award include the ability to motivate others, understand fellow soldiers and inspire commitment, teamwork and esprit de corps.

The award states that “these officers epitomize the ideals for which Gen. Douglas MacArthur stood: Duty, Honor and Country.”

The MacArthur Leadership Award program is jointly sponsored by the Army and the General Douglas MacArthur Foundation.

The awards will be given in Washington in May.